SHILAJIT: A MATERIA MEDICA MONOGRAPH

Posted by
Robert Talbert Aug 30, 2004
on January 11, 2010

SHILAJIT

A MATERIA MEDICA MONOGRAPH

A paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Clinical Ayurvedic SpecialistatCalifornia College of Ayurveda1117A East Main StreetGrass Valley, CaliforniaOVERVIEWShilajit is considered one of the wonder medicines of Ayurveda. Neither a plant nor animal substance, it is a mineral pitch that oozes from the rocks of the Himalayas, as they become warm in the summer months. It is said to carry the healing power of these great mountains (Frawley 2001). Shilajit is an important drug of the ancient Hindu material medica and is to this day used extensively by the Hindu physicians for a variety of diseases. Early ayurvedic writings from the Caraka Samhita and Susruta Samhita describe shilajit as a cure for all disease as well as a rasayana (rejuvenative) able to increasing longevity from 100 to 1000 years of age. It is composed of humus and organic plant material that has been compressed by layers of rock mixed with microbial metabolites. Traditional uses primarily focus on diabetes and diseases of the urinary tract, but also include edema, tumors, wasting, epilepsy and even insanity. Modern indications extend to all system of the human body with a significant number of additions in the reproductive and nervous system. The Ayurvedic energenics vary depending on the base rock that the shilajit comes from but it is generally thought to be tridoshic and only aggravating to Pitta (Fire) when used in excess. Clinical research confirms many of the properties that shilajit is used for. However, further investigations are required before many of shilajit’s actions can be affirmed. No studies with human subject have been conducted. Some of the most interesting studies confirm shilajit’s uses as an anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) agent and its nootropic (enhancer of learning acquisition and memory retrieval) activity. Shilajit is generally considered safe in moderate doses and is readily available in the United States both as a stand-alone product and in the traditional Ayurvedic formula Chandraprabha. It has also compounded in many patent medicines from India. Those who sell shilajit or products containing it make many wild claims for shilajit’s ability to cure diseases. Hopefully shilajit will not become a “snake-oil” in our modern world only to be cast aside by modern researchers. Shilajit is truly a remarkable substance with a long history of human usage for healing and should be subjected to further investigations.1DESCRIPTION

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